Method of filling a plurality of bottom gusseted pouches disposed on a roll
A method of filling a plurality of bottom gusseted pouches disposed on a roll in a top-to-bottom end orientation is provided. The method comprises unwinding the respective bottom gusseted pouch from the roll; providing access to an interior compartment defined by front and back panels and the bottom gusseted end of the respective bottom gusseted pouch; filling the interior compartment with at least one item to produce a filled pouch; and cutting the respective bottom gusseted pouch from the roll by cutting between the top end of the respective bottom gusseted pouch and the bottom gusseted end of an adjacent bottom gussetted pouch connected to the respective bottom gusseted pouch.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/733,205, filed on Jun. 8, 2015, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/467,138, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,050,770, filed on Aug. 25, 2014, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is directed to a method of filling a plurality of bottom gusseted pouches disposed on a roll, wherein each of the pouches may be formed at least in part of a multilayered supported film, and more particularly, a method of filling a plurality of bottom gusseted pouches wound onto a roll in a top-to-bottom end orientation.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIt is well known to use different types of pouches to serve as a container or packaging for many different types of consumer products, as well as food and beverage products. One type of pouch that is used for these types of products is referred to as a bottom gusseted pouch, wherein the bottom portion of the pouch includes a gusset that allows for the bottom to expand outwardly to provide additional storage spaced within the pouch. Further, when the bottom gusseted pouch is formed of a structured film, the pouch is capable of standing upright on a support surface.
A bottom gusseted pouch typically includes a top end, a bottom end, and opposing side edges that are connected with one another to define an interior compartment spaced therein. This type of pouch is typically manufactured in a side-by-side orientation so that the sides of each of the pouches are connected in series. In some cases, the flow of the web material used to form the front and back panels of the pouch is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the individual pouches. Further, the top end includes a zipper that allows the pouch to be selectively opened and closed to allow items to be placed within the interior compartment space. As previously mentioned, the bottom end includes a gusset that allows for expansion of the bottom portion of the pouch, which allows the finished pouch to remain in an upright position.
One significant problem with the side-to-side manufacturing orientation of the bottom gusseted pouches is that, after the pouches are manufactured, but not yet separated from one another, they cannot easily be rolled into a uniform cylindrical roll. In particular, such a roll would be non-uniform due to the increased amount of material used to form the bottom gusset at the bottom end of the pouch, as well as the zipper located at the top end of the pouch. The roll would have significant non-uniformities, such as bumps, that would make it difficult for a downstream packaging operation to use the roll in a subsequent filling process. Furthermore, the side-to-side manufacturing process requires that the pouches be opened, which creates a problem when the downstream filling process requires that the inside of the pouch be sterile. Also, side-to-side pouch manufacturing processes requires a significant amount of floor space in a manufacturing facility, which can be problematic in some instances.
As such, there is a need for a method for producing a roll of serially connected bottom gusseted pouches formed of structured film having a top- to-bottom end orientation to provide a compact cylindrical roll of completed bottom gusseted pouches. The present invention addresses this and other needs.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONOne aspect of the present invention is directed to a method of manufacturing a roll of a plurality of bottom gusseted pouches with each respective pouch having a bottom gusseted end, a re-sealable top end and sealed first and second side edges. The plurality of pouches are serially connected in a top-to-bottom end orientation. The method comprises unwinding at least one pouch webbing in a first flow direction with the at least one pouch webbing defining front and back panels of a respective pouch. A gusset webbing is inserted between the front and back panels in a second flow direction which is transverse to the first flow direction. The gusset webbing is attached to the front and back panels to form the bottom gusseted end of the respective pouch. A closure mechanism is inserted between the front and back panels in a third flow direction which is transverse to the first flow direction. The closure mechanism may be attached to one or both of the front and back panels to form the resealable top end of the respective pouch. The gusset webbing and the closure mechanism are in spaced parallel relation. The closure mechanism is attached to one or both of the front and back panels to form the re-sealable top end of the respective pouch. The side edges of the front and back panels are sealed to complete the respective pouch. The completed respective pouch is wound onto the roll in the first flow direction and the steps are then repeated to form the other bottom gusseted pouches on the roll. The at least one of the pouch webbing and the gusset webbing is formed of a supported film, wherein the supported film includes at least a first film layer and a second film layer.
A further aspect of the present invention is directed to a method of manufacturing a bottom gusseted pouch having a bottom gusseted end, a top end having a fitment, and sealed first and second side edges. The method comprises unwinding at least one pouch webbing in a first flow direction. The at least one pouch webbing forms front and back panels of the bottom gusseted pouch. A gusset webbing is inserted between the front and back panels in a second flow direction which is transverse to the first flow direction. The gusset webbing is attached to the front and back panels to form the bottom gusseted end of the pouch. The side edges of the front and back panels are sealed such that the sealed side edges and bottom gusseted end define a pouch compartment. At least a portion of the fitment is positioned between the front and back panels adjacent to the top end of the pouch. The fitment is then sealed to the front and back panels of the pouch to provide selective access to the pouch compartment. At least one of the pouch webbing and the gusset webbing is formed of a supported film, wherein the supported film includes at least a first film layer and a second film layer.
A still further aspect of the present invention is directed to a method of filling a respective bottom gusseted pouch on a roll of bottom gusseted pouches. The respective bottom gusseted pouch includes front and back panels, a bottom gusset, a top end, and sealed first and second side edges. One or more of the front panel, back panel and bottom gusset is a supported film including first and second film layers, wherein the first film layer has a lower heat index that the second film layer. The method comprises unwinding the respective bottom gusseted pouch from the roll of bottom gusseted pouches. Access is provided to an interior compartment of the respective bottom gusseted pouch, which is defined by the front and back panels and the bottom gusseted end of the respective bottom gusseted pouch. The interior compartment is then filled with at least one item so as to produce a filled pouch. The respective bottom gusseted pouch is cut from the roll of bottom gusseted pouches by cutting between the top end of the filled pouch and a bottom gusset of a next succeeding pouch, either before or after the interior compartment is filled with the at least one item.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and will in part become apparent to those in the practice of the invention, when considered with the attached figures.
The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith, wherein like reference numerals are employed to indicate like parts in the various views, and wherein:
Referring to the drawings in detail, and specifically to
To initiate method 100, a single roll 102 of pouch webbing 104 is unwound in a first flow direction 106 and folded within a webbing folder 108 to form a folded pouch webbing. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, pouch webbing 104 is folded in a direction that is parallel to, or along, a longitudinal axis of pouch webbing 104 to form a seam along an edge 110. The pouch webbing 104 is then sliced along the seam using a seam slitter 112 (see
With front panel 114 and back panel 116 formed and positioned on top of one another, a bottom gusset webbing 120 may be inserted between front and back panels 114, 116 in a second flow direction 122 which is transverse to first flow direction 106 of pouch webbing 104. Prior to inserting gusset webbing 120 between front and back panels 114, 116, gusset webbing 120 is drawn from a gusset webbing roll 124 in second flow direction 122 and may be folded in a direction that is parallel to, or along, its longitudinal axis by a gusset folder 126. The folded gusset webbing 120 allows for the expansion of a bottom end of a completed pouch upon filling, and also provides a wider base such that the completed pouch can freely stand upon its gusseted end. After the desired length of gusset webbing 120 has been inserted between front and back panels 114, 116, gusset webbing 120 is then cut from gusset roll 124. The inserted gusset webbing 120 is then sealed to an inner surface of each of front panel 114 and back panel 116 using a heat sealer 127 to form a heat seal 128 at a bottom end of gusseted pouch. While gusset webbing 120 is described above as being cut before being sealed to front and back panels 114, 116, it is also within the scope of the invention to seal gusset webbing 120 to front and back panels 114, 116 prior to being cut from gusset roll 124. Furthermore, gusset webbing 120 may further have one or more gusset holes 130 defined therein by a gusset punch 132 (see
A top end of a respective bottom gusseted pouch may include a closure mechanism 134 to allow selective access to an interior compartment 136 (
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, closure mechanism 134 is continually supplied by unwinding a closure roll 140 and closure mechanism 134 is inserted between front and back panels 114, 116. After the desired length of the closure mechanism 134 has been inserted between front and back panels 114, 116, closure mechanism 134 is then cut from closure roll 140 and sealed to the inner surface of one or both of front panel 114 and back panel 116 by mechanism 135 to form a resealable top end 142 of the bottom gusseted pouch. While closure mechanism 134 is described above as being cut before being sealed, it is also within the scope of the present invention that closure mechanism 134 may be sealed to one or both of front and back panels 114, 116 prior to being cut from closure roll 140. Further, closure mechanism 134 may be inserted between front and back panels 114, 116 at the same time that the gusset webbing 120 is being inserted between front and back panels 114, 116. Alternatively, closure mechanism 134 and gusset webbing 120 may be inserted in serial fashion with insertion of either the closure mechanism 134 or gusset webbing 120 sequentially following the insertion of the other.
Once gusset webbing 120 and closure mechanism 134 have been inserted and sealed to one or both of front and back panels 114, 116, an in-line sealer 144 operates to heat seal the side edges 110, 118 of front panel 114 and back panel 116 to form a completed respective bottom gusseted pouch 146 that remains connected to adjacent completed respective bottom gusseted pouches in a top-to-bottom end orientation. The completed bottom gusseted pouches 146 are then wound to form a finished cylindrical roll 148 for use in a subsequent filling process, such as the filling process that will be described below with reference to
It should be noted that the entire method of manufacturing the bottom gusseted pouches is conducted while pouch webbing 104 is under tension, including when the heat seal is applied to seal the side edges 110, 118 of front and back panels 114, 116, and to seal the gusset webbing 120 to front and back panels 114, 116 to form the bottom end of pouch 146. While any suitable amount of tension may be applied to pouch webbing 104 during production, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention, manufacturing method 100 proceeds wherein pouch webbing 104 is under a web tension of between about 1 N/m to about 20 kN/m, and more particularly between about 45 N/m to about 10 kN/m, and in a preferred embodiment between about 75 N/m to about 1 kN/m. While specific ranges have been provided, it should be understood that any desired amount of tension may be used, with such amount of tension determined based at least in part on the type and thickness of the pouch webbing materials being used, the number and thickness of any laminate layers within the pouch webbing material and the desired seal characteristics of the completed pouches. Such additional amounts of tension should be considered within the scope of the present invention.
Alternative embodiments of a method of manufacturing a roll of a plurality of bottom gusseted pouches in accordance with present invention are shown in
Turning now to
Following insertion, sealing and cutting of closure mechanism 134, in-line sealer 144 (such as that shown in
Referring to
With front and back panels 114, 116 formed and positioned on top of one another, gusset webbing 120 is inserted between front and back panels 114, 116 in second flow direction 122 that is transverse to first flow direction 106 of pouch webbing 104. Gusset webbing 120 is unwound from gusset webbing roll 124 and may be folded evenly along is longitudinal axis by gusset folder 126. As previously mentioned, the folded gusset webbing allows for the expansion of the completed pouch upon filling, and also provides a wider base such that the completed pouch can freely stand upon its bottom gusseted end. After the desired length of gusset webbing 120 has been inserted, gusset webbing 120 is then cut from gusset roll 124. The inserted gusset webbing 120 is then sealed to the inner surface of each of front panel 114 and back panel 116 to form the bottom gusseted pouch at a gusset seal similar to gusset seal 128 as shown in
Once gusset webbing 120 has been inserted and sealed to front and back panels 114, 116, in-line sealer 144 (such as that shown in
Once the side edges 110, 118 of front and back panels 114, 116 are sealed to one another, and bottom gusset webbing 120 are sealed to front and back panels 114, 116, pouches 146A, 146B, 146C are advanced by one or more web feed rollers 152 until the open top ends of pouches 146A, 146B, 146C engage a fitment feed and seal device 154, wherein a fitment 156 is positioned between front and back panels 114, 116, and sealed to the open top end of each pouch to produce a completed bottom gusseted pouch with integral fitment. Fitment 156 may include, but is not limited to, a cylindrical spout that is configured to selectively receive a fitment cap, such as a screw top or spout, to allow contents contained within a completed pouch to be poured out of the completed pouch. Examples of suitable fitment feed and seal device 154 include, but are not limited to, a roll feed device 154A, a magazine feed device 154B or a bowl feed device 154C. Once fitment 156 has been inserted and sealed to the pouch, the completed pouch with fitment may be disconnected from the adjacently connected pouches by a pouch cutter 158. The completed pouches are then arranged for later use, such as by palletizing on a pallet 160.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, fitment feed and seal device 154 is adapted to provide monitoring and manipulation of each fitment 156 with respect to the fitment's 156 alignment with the open top end of pouches 146A, 146B, and/or 146C. In particular, fitment feed and seal device 154 is configured for controlling the position and orientation of fitment 156 (such as along any or all Cartesian axes: x, y, z) to ensure proper alignment of fitment 156 between front and back panels 114, 116 of the pouch and minimize, and preferably eliminate, any misalignments and subsequent mis-seals of fitment 156 with the top end of the respective pouch. Fitment 156 position and orientation is maintained through the servo-feed and indexing of the pouch forming machine (such as that one used in method 105) which allows for accurate positioning of pouch 146 (or pouches 146A, 146B, 146C) with respect to fitment feed and seal device 154. Proper positioning of pouch 146 (pouches 146A, 146B, 146C) also assists in releasing the completed pouches from the tension section of the machine through pouch cutter 158 while minimizing the risk of improperly slicing the sealed portion of the completed pouch or pouches.
With regard to
The use of supported films in the present method may be used to construct one or more of front panel 114, 114A, back panel 116,116A, and bottom gusset 120. For instance, as shown in
The supported films may be constructed by any known or future developed manufacturing process, including but not limited to, lamination, extrusion, coextrusion or combinations thereof. While it has been shown and described herein to use three film layers to form the structured film that makes up the webbing, it should be understood that it is within the scope of the present invention to utilize webbing that includes two film layers and more than three film layers. Examples of such film layers include layers imparting desired performance characteristics to the completed pouches such as desired adhesive properties/strengths, moisture barrier/permeability, oxygen barrier/permeability, and the ability to print onto the layer. Materials which may comprise one or more layers within the multilayer film include polymeric/copolymeric films formed of materials, such as, but not limited to, nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, polylactic acid, polyvinyl chloride, and any weights, modifications and/or orientations of such polymers; metal films such as aluminum; metal coatings such as aluminum oxide; and combinations thereof.
Referring now to
As shown in
Referring now to
As shown in
Referring now to
As shown in
In another aspect of the present invention, the previously described method 400 of filling may also be used to fill a pouch 546 including a corner fitment 556, as best seen in
In yet another aspect, as best seen in
Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain aspects thereof, other versions are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the aspects contained herein.
All features disclosed in the specification, including the claims, abstract, and drawings, and all the steps in any method or process disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive. Each feature disclosed in the specification, including the claims, abstract, and drawings, can be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.
Claims
1. A method of filling a plurality of bottom gusseted pouches disposed on a roll, the method comprising:
- a) providing each of the plurality of bottom gusseted pouches with front and back panels, a bottom gusseted end, a top end, and sealed first and second side edges, wherein the plurality of bottom gusseted pouches are serially connected to one another in a top-to-bottom end orientation on the roll, wherein the top end of a respective bottom gusseted pouch on the roll is connected to the bottom gusseted end of an adjacent one of the plurality of bottom gusseted pouches on the roll;
- b) unwinding the respective bottom gusseted pouch from the roll of bottom gusseted pouches;
- c) providing access to an interior compartment defined by the front and back panels and the bottom gusseted end of the respective bottom gusseted pouch;
- d) filling the interior compartment with at least one item to produce a filled pouch;
- e) cutting the respective bottom gusseted pouch from the roll by cutting between the top end of the respective bottom gusseted pouch and the bottom gusseted end of the adjacent one of the plurality bottom gusseted pouches connected to the respective bottom gusseted pouch; and
- f) repeating steps b)-e) with respect to the adjacent one of the plurality bottom gusseted pouches.
2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of providing access to the interior compartment includes opening the top end of the respective bottom gusseted pouch.
3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of bottom gusseted pouches are further connected in a side-to-side orientation on the roll such that the first side edge of the respective bottom gusseted pouch is connected to the second side edge of a side positioned bottom gusseted pouch on the roll.
4. The method in accordance with claim 3, wherein the respective bottom gusseted pouch and the side positioned gusseted pouch are unwound, opened, filled, and cut in parallel in accordance with steps b), c), d), and e).
5. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the respective bottom gusseted pouch is unwound from the roll of bottom gusseted pouches so that the bottom gusseted end of the respective bottom gusseted pouch is located vertically below the top end of the respective bottom gusseted pouch.
6. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of sealing the top end to enclose the at least one item within the interior compartment.
7. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of forming a heat seal between the top end of the filled pouch and the bottom gusseted end of the adjacent bottom gusseted pouch prior to step e).
8. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the top end is a top resealable end, wherein the step of providing access to the interior compartment includes opening the top resealable end of the respective bottom gusseted pouch.
9. The method in accordance with claim 8, further comprising the step of closing the top resealable end to enclose the at least one item within the interior compartment.
10. The method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the top resealable end includes a closure mechanism.
11. The method in accordance with claim 8, further comprising the step of forming a heat seal between the top resealable end of the filled pouch and the bottom gusseted end of the adjacent bottom gusseted pouch prior to step e).
12. The method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the plurality of bottom gusseted pouches are further connected in a side-to-side orientation on the roll such that the first side edge of the respective bottom gusseted pouch is connected to the second side edge of a side positioned bottom gusseted pouch on the roll.
13. The method in accordance with claim 12, wherein the respective bottom gusseted pouch and the side positioned gusseted pouch are unwound, opened, filled, and cut in parallel in accordance with steps b), c), d), and e).
14. The method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the respective bottom gusseted pouch is unwound from the roll of bottom gusseted pouches so that the bottom gusseted end of the respective bottom gusseted pouch is located vertically below the top resealable end of the respective bottom gusseted pouch.
15. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of providing access to the interior compartment includes providing a fitment disposed in at least one of: i) the front panel; ii) the back panel; iii) between the front and back panels positioned at the top end; or iv) between the front and back panels and positioned at an angle relative to the top end.
16. The method in accordance with claim 15, further comprising the step of sealing the fitment to enclose the at least one item within the interior compartment.
17. The method in accordance with claim 16, wherein a fitment cap is used to seal the fitment.
18. The method in accordance with claim 15, wherein the step of cutting the respective bottom gusseted pouch from the roll occurs prior to the step of filling the interior compartment with at least one item to produce the filled pouch.
19. The method in accordance with claim 15, wherein the plurality of bottom gusseted pouches are further connected in a side-to-side orientation on the roll such that the first side edge of the respective bottom gusseted pouch is connected to the second side edge of a side positioned bottom gusseted pouch on the roll.
20. The method in accordance with claim 19, wherein the respective bottom gusseted pouch and the side positioned gusseted pouch are unwound, opened, filled, and cut in parallel in accordance with steps b), c), d), and e).
21. The method in accordance with claim 15, wherein the respective bottom gusseted pouch is unwound from the roll of bottom gusseted pouches so that the bottom gusseted end of the respective bottom gusseted pouch is located vertically below the top resealable end of the respective bottom gusseted pouch.
22. The method in accordance with claim 15, wherein at least one of the front panel, the back panel and the bottom gusset is a supported film including a first film layer and a second film layer.
23. The method in accordance with claim 22, wherein the first film layer has a lower heat index than the second film layer.
24. The method in accordance with claim 23, wherein the second film layer is an outer surface of at least one of the front panel or the back panel.
25. The method in accordance with claim 22, wherein at least one of the first film layer and the second film layer is formed of nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, a metal foil, or combinations thereof.
26. The method in accordance with claim 25, wherein two or more of the front panel, the back panel, and the gusset webbing are formed of different materials.
27. The method in accordance with claim 22, wherein the supported film is fabricated by lamination, extrusion, coextrusion, or combinations thereof.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Jul 15, 2015
Date of Patent: Sep 6, 2016
Inventors: James Russell (Shortsville, NY), John Ferber (Clifton Springs, NY)
Primary Examiner: Sameh Tawfik
Application Number: 14/800,222
International Classification: B65B 43/12 (20060101); B65B 43/36 (20060101);